Herbert h



V(No Model.) Y 4 u H. H. HEWITT 8v .15. G. SUSEMII-I'L.

Freight Gar D601.A

N4 PETERS. PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D C.

' UNITED: STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERBERTH. HEWITT AND FRANCIS G. SUSEMIHL, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

FREIGHT-CAR Doon.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 239,097, dated March 22, 1881. Application tied June a2. leso. (No model.)

To all ttf/1,0m it may concern:

Beit known that we, HERBERT H. HEWITT and FRANCIS G. SUsEMIHL, both of Detroit, Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Freight-Car Doors, of which the following is a specification.

The object of ourinvention is to provide an outside door for railroad freight-cars which will be simple, cheap, durable, easily operated, and edective in excluding sparks, cinders, dust, rain, and snow from the interior of the car when the door is properly closed.

The'followin'g is a description of the manner inwhich we attain our object, reference being had to the accompanying` drawings, in which-` Figure l is a view of the side of car,sh0w ing the door open'. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view of the same on the line m x, the door being open. Fig. 3 isa sectional plan view ofthe same on the line .r m, supposing the door to be in its diagonal position before the doorway-opening.

Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view of the same on the line x supposing `the door to be properly closed. Fig. 5 is a detail of door-fastening in perspective. Fig. 6 is a detail of door-shoe a and section of guide-strap f in perspective. Fig. 7 is a detail of door-shoe b and section of guide-track e in perspective.

Our invention consists in an improvement Aon the ordinary sliding or edgeWise-moving door now in general use. We retain the general features of said door, but alter the details of construction and application thereof in such manner as will enable it to perform new and important functions,`which we will proceed to describe. i

First, ourdoor, instead of closing inza straight line across the doorway-opening and bringing up against a stop affixed to the face of doorpost, as does the ordinary door, is deviated therefrom, and is made to move obliquely into the doorway-opening, and is stopped by bringing up against the door-post proper; second, our door, instead of moving in a straight line and resting, when closed, with :its inner surface on a line outside ofor ush with the outer surface of car-side or door-posts, as the ordinary door does, closes into a recess of the doorway-opening, and rests with its inner surface on a line inside of that of the outside of car-side or door-posts; third, our door closes with its rear portion set into a recess of doorpost, forming a tight broken or L joint, instead of closing with its rear portion lapping on the face of said door-post, as in the ordinary door 5 fourth, our door, instead of having to be confined closely to the car-wall, so as to prevent too much of an opening at the joint of the rear portion of door and car when closed, as is the case with the ordinary door, can be allowed ample clearance to provide for the springing of door-post or bulging of car-wall, thus preventing the door from ever coming in contact therewith, securing perfect freedom in its movement, and at the same timea close,.tight joint when properly closed.

Furthermore, our invention consists in the construction which we prefer for carrying our invention into eect, the details of which are hereinafter more fully set forth.

`In `the drawings,A represents the side of car, B the doorway-opening, and D the door. The door D, being provided with the door-shoes a b c d, is attachedand confined to theside of carA by means of the guide-track e and the guide-strap f, `both of which are secured to the side of car A by proper fastenin gs. The guide-track e, on which the shoes d b ride, supports the door D, and secures and guides it in its proper movement at the bottom. The guide-strap f, in connection with the shoes c a., secures and1 guides the movement of the upper portion of the door D. l l

The operation of the door D is as follows: To open it the rear portion of the door is iirst drawn out of the recess ofthe doorway-opening B with a lateral movement. It is then moved edgewise from in frontof the doorwayopening B, passing outside of the side of car A, and, when open, resting in a vertical position parallel to the side of car A. The guidetrack e and guide-strap f are attached to the side of car Aat such a distance as to prevent the door D from coming in contact therewith when being moved. The door D is prevented from leaving the guides e and f by proper stops attached to the guides ef or side of car A. The door D is closed with a similar edge- 'wise movement; but the guide-track e `and guide-strap f are formed and attached to side of oarA in such a manner as to guide the door obliquely, causing it to deviate from a straight line and partially enter the doorway-openin g B, being stopped by coming in contact with the door-post h. The door D being thus brought to an oblique or diagonal position in front of the doorway-opening, it is completely closed, being muoved laterally into the doorway'- opening B, so that when closed properly the inner surface of the frame of door D will set in beyond the outer surface of the door-posts h h'. This last movement is provided for in the following manner The door-shoe b is formed with projections on the under side, which project on either side of the guide-track e, and serve to keep the door D in its proper position on the guide-track c. When the door D is closed the outside projection or projections on shoe b are brought opposite to a corresponding notch or notches formed in the guide-track e, allowing the aforesaid projection or projections to pass through, thus permitting of the lateral inward movement of the lower rear portion of the door D, before described. The inner projection or projections on the shoe b are not adapted to the notch or notches formed in the guide-track e, and, being unable to pass through them, the door D is prevented in its lateral movement from vbeing drawn out farther than is required. The door-shoe a is formed in a similar manner, being provided with projections on the upper side, which project on4 either side of the upper guide-strap, f, said guide-strap f having a notch or notches formed therein, which are adapted to the outside projection or projections on shoe, allowing said projection or projections to pass through, thus permitting of the inward lateral movement of the upper rear portion of the door D, before described. I,The inner projection or projectionson the shoe a, not being adapted to the notch or notches formed in guide-strap f, cannot pass through, thus preventing the door D from being drawn .out farther than is required. The door-shoes .c d are provided with projections, which project on either side of the guide-track c and guide-strapf, respectively. The door Dis thus held securely in place and made to conform in its movement to the guidingimpulse imparted by the said track e and strap j'. lhe projections on shoes c d, not being adapted to the notches formed in track e and strap f, are unaffected thereby while passingthem duriu g the operation of opening the door D.

The door-posts h h are, by preference, rabbeted, as shown, for the purpose of forming a seat or recess for the door D to set in, so as to form a broken or L joint between the car j rabbeted instead.

The door D, when closed, is secured or fastened by means of a hasp, t', which is attached to the door-post h in such manner as to allow of its being closed in llush with the face of said door-post l1.' when the door D is being opened, allowing the door D to pass by iu front of it. When the door D is closed the hasp i is opened out, clasping over the eyebolt or staple 7c, secured to the rear edge of the door D, through which is then passed the lock, seal, or other contrivance used for that purpose.

The door-post h is sheathed with iron, which may be extended over a portion of the siding, if desired. A portion ofthe inside of door D may be sheathed in like marinera-nd for a similar purpose, if desired.

The principal advantage of this door lies in the fact that an unlimited amount of clearance or space can be allowed between the door D and side of car A, to prevent their coming in contact, no matter how much the door-post may spring or the side of car bulge out, thus insuring an easy-working and lasting door,

which will notwithstanding form a tight door when properly closed. The outward movement of the door D, when being opened, has a tendency to free it from any of the freight or contents of the car that might be thrown against it while in transit.

The door D may be ina-de to set partially into the doorway-opening when closed, (which is the arrangement preferably described herein,) or altogether, in which case the outside surface of the door D would be ilush with the outside of car.

Substitutes for the guide-track e and guide strap f may be used, such as grooved bars, the shoes a b c d having single or centrallylocatedprojections to run therein.

We are aware that in the construction of sashes and doors the ways or guides in which the sash or door runs have been inclined or placed obliquely with reference to the face of the sash or door frame. In such construction two sashes or doors have been employed,

which, when closed, abut at their inner edges against a central post, and one of the sashes or doors, in order to be opened, has been pushed inward at its inner edge, so as'to clear the rear or inner side of the central post, and then slid obliquely in the guides or ways, so as to pass behind the other sash or door. Such arrangement of sashes or doors we therefore do not claim; but,

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a freight-car having a door-seat in a plane within that of the exterior of the side of the car, the combination of a sliding door, an upper guide-strap, a lower guide-track, and shoes connecting the door with said strap and track,the strap and track running in oblique and parallel lines with reference to the side of the car, substantially as described, whereby the door may be drawn obliquely from its seat IOO IOS

IIO

before being slid open to a position parallel with the side of the car, as specied.

2. `In a freight-car, a sliding door combined with supporting and guiding devices, consisting of an upper guide-strap and a lower guidetrack, said strap and track runnin g in oblique and parallel lines with reference to the side of l,

the car, and shoes connecting the door with the strap and track, the upper edge of the door being confined between the strap and car, and the shoes on the lower edge of the door riding on the guide-track, substantially as described,`

whereby the door is adapted to be opened and closed by lateral and end movement, as specified.

3. The side of the car A, with rabbeted doorposts h h', the guide-track e, and guide-strap f, attached to side of `car A, in combination with the door D, provided with the shoes a b o d, substantially as and for the purpose shown and described.

4. The side of carwA, having the guide-track e, formed with notch m', in combination with the door D, provided with the shoeb, substantially as and for the purpose shown and described.

5. The side of car A, having the guidestrap f, formed with notch n, in combination with the door D, provided with the shoe c, substantially as and for the purpose shown and described.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specication in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HERBERT'H. HEWITT. FRANCIS G. sUsEMIHL.

Witnesses F. C.. ADAMsoN, A. M. WrNoHEsTER. 

